Improvement in metallic fences



0. J. REILING. Metallic Fenam 3 F g- F -6' UUihwssEs 11111511101- NJUERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON O C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. REILING, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN METALLIC FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,976, dated December 11, 1877; application filed December 8, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES J. REILING, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Fences, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figurelrepresents a section of an iron picket fence, in which the several parts thereof are connected together according to my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4: are enlarged views of the fastening device; and Figs. 5 and 6 are like views of a device employed in connection with the above, as will be explained farther on.

The metallic fastening device, which may be cast or otherwise formed, as by stamping, is composed of a plate or body, A, having the four projecting wings a a b b and a central hole, 00, as illustrated in the drawings. The endwings act, which are designed to be clamped down upon the rods or rails of the fence, as hereinafter described, are preferably less in width than the width of the body A, so that when they are bent inward and down upon the rods their ends will just fit between the corners of the side wings I) b.

By the above formation of parts four openings will be left between the side and end wings, the bent or rounded ends of the plate A giving to the same a conformation adapted to that of the rods, which, when the device is secured in position, Will pass through said openings transversely to the plate A.

The opening 00, which is formed through the plate, is located between the wings I), and is of a size corresponding to the size of the picketrod. it

In forming a fence of iron cross-rods and picket-rods, the pickets B are passed through the holes a: of the fasteners, which should be adjusted thereon with reference to the cross rods or rails-as, for instance, in about the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The cross-rails are then passed through the side openings, and the wings a a bent down upon the same, so that each rail will be securely embraced by the plate A, wing a, and one edgeof each one of the side wings b.

In order to insure the security of this joint, however, I propose to cast or stamp out the metallic device shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and to employ it as an auxiliary to the fastening device hereinbefore described.

This device consists of a plate, 0, having a central opening, an, and recesses y 3 somewhat wider than the wings b of the piece A. The plate 0 is also provided with two side wings, d, one of which is shown in Fig. 5 and with concave surfaces 6 e, which are designed to rest against the cross-rods D.

This device may be employed as follows: After the plate A has been placed in proper position on the rodB and upon the cross-rails D D, the plate 0, which has also been slipped upon the rod B, is adjusted thereon, so that its concave surfaces 6 6 will lie closely against the rods D D, and its side wings d d be be-- tween the same and upon the rod 18. The wings I) b of the fastener A will fit in the recesses y y, thereby giving a finished appearance to the same. The wings a a may then be clamped down, as before.

' What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein described fastening device, consisting of the piece A, provided with suitable openings for the rods, and with side and end wings a b, all constructed and adapted to connect together the cross-rails and pickets of a fence, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the metallic piece 0, constructed with wings d, opening at, and

- adapted to fit within the fastener A, in combination with the said fastening device, constructed as specified, and with the cross-rails and pickets D D, substantially as specified. CHARLES JOHN REILING. Witnesses:

E. LINDENFELSER, O. D. LEVIS. 

